The highest-paid English footballers in the world [Ranked] | OneFootball

Money makes the world go round. And that notion is particularly true for footballers, especially for those earning their corn in the Premier League, as they often take home jaw-dropping amounts of money each week. It has now become a construct that fans and pundits alike tend to converse about: most notably, whether footballers deserve to be paid much more than their teammates based on a string of factors.

While arriving in the Middle East to see out the rest of his career was seen as controversial, Jordan Henderson leapfrogged the likes of Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford to become the nation’s highest-ever paid player, despite being 33 years of age and not at the peak of his powers.

But that got us thinking - how does his Al-Ettifaq salary compare to England's best footballers? Which players are not being rewarded for their consistent performances? Which Englishmen are receiving eyebrow-raising amounts of money each week? And who, rightly or wrongly, is being paid the most?

Using Capology figures, GIVEMESPORT have comprised a list of the 25 highest-paid English footballers in the world, and you educate yourself by viewing them all below. Without further ado, let’s get stuck in.

1 Jordan Henderson (Al-Ettifaq)

£663,411-per-week

On the back of his controversial switch to Saudi Arabia, in which he reunited with former teammate Steven Gerrard, Jordan Henderson is enjoying the riches of the Middle East by pocketing a mouth-watering £663,441-per-week. In doing so, he became the highest-ever paid Englishman in the weird and wonderful world of football.

The former Liverpool midfielder was hounded for his switch as all of his brilliant work for the LGBTQI+ community was then painted in a bad light given the root of the funding for his new employers. Since the move, the 33-year-old has provided four assists in his first 15 outings, all while lining his pockets.

2 Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)

£414,632-per-week

England’s all-time top goalscorer earned a mammoth pay rise when he penned a deal with new employers Bayern Munich, worth £414,632-per-week. And, well, it’s safe to say that Thomas Tuchel and his entourage are getting their money’s worth.

Harry Kane’s innate potency in front of goal has transcended into the Bundesliga, having scored 18 goals and notched a further five assists in 12 domestic games at the time of writing – a return that places him in the 15 best players in Europe in 2023/24 based on stats. But that’s what you pay the big money for, right? Should the 89-cap Englishman continue to score at an unfathomable rate, he may be in line for a pay increase just months into his Bavaria stint.

3 Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)

£345,471-per-week

At the tender age of 20, Jude Bellingham has announced himself as arguably the brightest young prospect in the world of football. Having shone for Borussia Dortmund in yesteryear, Real Madrid emptied their pockets and parted ways with £88.5m for his signature over the summer months – and with that came a healthy wage package.

£345,471-per-week is what the Stourbridge-born star earns per week, and it has certainly paid dividends given he is the La Liga top goalscorer with 11 strikes in 13 games from the midfield area. Already a 27-cap England international, Bellingham has paved the way for other English youngsters wanting to make their mark on international football.

4 Raheem Sterling (Chelsea)

£325,000-per-week

From blitzing defenders on the wing for Manchester City to carrying the burden for Chelsea, Raheem Sterling has always tended to receive a big weekly pay day. The Blues, under Todd Boehly’s reign, have been keen to splash the cash on big transfer fees, while also offering their players hefty wages.

Chelsea’s squad bill is somewhat astronomical and Sterling, unsurprisingly, tops the list. However, he only makes the top four compared to what his compatriots take home on a weekly basis. Although Gareth Southgate continues to snub him for England, despite his above-par displays at club level, the winger is a seasoned England pro, having made 82 appearances for the Three Lions.

5 Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)

£300,000-per-week

Manchester born and bred Marcus Rashford is the highest-earning Manchester United player on this list – but, of course, there are more to come. His pay rise to £300,000-per-week came as a reward for a fine 2022/23 campaign that saw him tot up 30 goals and 11 assists in all competitions.

Admittedly, Rashford is no longer firing on all cylinders for Erik ten Hag and looks to have lost that level of consistency that United fans adored last season. Saying that, he’s a local lad from the outskirts of Manchester who has racked up 197 goal contributions (125G, 72A) in his 377-game Red Devils career.

6 Jack Grealish (Manchester City)

£300,000-per-week

Much was made of the £100m fee paid by Pep Guardiola and his team to snare the services of Jack Grealish in 2021 given his low level of expertise in the Premier League. That didn’t seem to stop the Spaniard offering him £300,000-per-week to ply his trade at the Etihad Stadium, however.

Whether he has justified his heavy weekly outlay is a conversation for another day, but you’d expect more than 12 goals and 17 assists in 104 games (at the time of writing) for someone who is seeing over a quarter of a million enter their bank account every week.

7 Jadon Sancho (Manchester United)

£250,000-per-week

After their long-standing interest in Borussia Dortmund ace Jadon Sancho finally paid off, the club were willing to put a £250,000-per-week contract on the table in a heartbeat. And rightfully so – the Englishman tore the Bundesliga to shreds, though his form has seen a dramatic decline since arriving at Old Trafford in 2021.

Now exiled from all first team proceedings following his public feud with Ten Hag, his days of receiving such a fine pay packet seem eerily numbered unless a financially healthy club – most notably from Saudi Arabia – swoop in for his services. His wages at his current club, however, are so eye-watering that they are reportedly becoming a hindrance for other sides looking to take him on.

8 Mason Mount (Manchester United)

£250,000-per-week

Mason Mount, now of Manchester United, was much further down this list while playing for his boyhood club, Chelsea. The playmaker was signed by the Red Devils in the summer of 2023 and now receives a whopping £250,000-per-week in Manchester, which takes him up to eighth on this list, one behind teammate Sancho.

His start to life at Old Trafford has left a lot to be desired, though his progression has been halted by a string of injury problems. Still just 24 years of age, Mount has one assist and zero goals in his inaugural 12 games under Ten Hag’s watch.

9 John Stones (Manchester City)

£250,000-per-week

Given his importance to Guardiola’s blueprint for winning football matches, it’s surprising to see John Stones not earning more money in City threads. The 69-cap England international, who has become a regular next to Harry Maguire for Southgate, earns £250,000-a-week at club level.

Versatile enough to be deployed in an array of positions, the centre-back (by trade, at least) has played 235 games for them and had a key part to play in their treble-winning 2022/23 season. But that still isn’t enough to be among City’s highest earners, nor is it enough to be in the same bracket for Englishmen.

10 Reece James (Chelsea)

£250,000-per-week

Chelsea captain Reece James earns the same amount as Stones does. Having taken on captaincy responsibilities upon Cesar Azpilicueta’s exit, the English full-back has seen his season marred by injuries… once again. Despite his constant unavailability, his influence on their play is unrivalled and their £250,000 weekly spend on his services is well deserved.

A terrific player in his own right, James, 23, has to compete with the likes of Kyle Walker, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Kieran Trippier (a trio of players he earns more than) for the right-back berth at international level and, as such, has been limited to just 16 games for his nation.

11 Declan Rice (Arsenal)

£240,000-per-week

Former West Ham United captain Declan Rice arrived at the Emirates Stadium to much fanfare as he was labelled the final piece of their puzzle. He has formed the fulcrum of Mikel Arteta’s side, becoming one of their most integral players and earns a healthy £240,000-per-week in return.

The Englishman looks to be perfect captain material for the capital club in the near future and his lofty wage attests to that. Arsenal certainly look to be pushing the boat out on the wages front by handing wads of money to those who will be mainstays in the long-term for Arteta and his project.

12 Phil Foden (Manchester City)

£225,000-per-week

Predicted as one of the next 14 Ballon d’Or winners, Manchester City’s Phil Foden is well within his rights of earning £225,000-per-week, although his wage is lower than many of his fellow countrymen.

The Stockport-born 23-year-old has enjoyed a trophy-ladened stint at his boyhood club including five Premier Leagues, two FA Cups, four League Cups and the solitary Champions League title. And what is most impressive is how influential he has been over that period of trophy hoarding. Since his promotion to senior proceedings, he has plundered 67 goals and 46 assists in 238 games but has struggled to cement himself as a starter thanks to the plethora of attacking talent that Guardiola has at his disposal.

13 Ben Chilwell (Chelsea)

£200,000-per-week

Despite not earning the same amount as his full-back partner in crime, James, Ben Chilwell is still pocketing a comfortable £200,000-per-week at Stamford Bridge. As mentioned earlier, Boehly and his team have not been afraid to offer players – old and new – substantial pay packets to get/keep them onboard and Chilwell’s wage represents that.

Similarly to his compatriot and teammate James, the former Leicester City ace has been hindered by injury more often than not, but that has not stopped him from emerging as one of his side’s most crucial players. He has also been superb for England, too, though he has only featured in 19 games for Southgate at senior level.

14 Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)

£195,000-per-week

Despite being a vital cog in Arteta’s well-oiled north London machine, Bukayo Saka earns a measly £195,000-per-week. And while – on face value, at least – that is a lot of money, it isn’t so in the grand scheme of footballers' weekly wages.

Interestingly, Saka earns less than Rice, who joined the north Londoners in the summer just gone. But should his high level of performances continue, and he fires them to some sort of silverware this season, he’ll be next in line for a mammoth pay rise at Arsenal. And given his importance to the side’s fortunes, he deserves it more than anybody else on the payroll.

15 Harry Maguire (Manchester United)

£190,000-per-week

Rounding off the top 15 in the England set-up is Manchester United defender Harry Maguire. Despite being ousted from first team action upon the arrivals of Lisandro Martínez and Raphael Varane, the Englishman has enjoyed a redemption arc for the ages, becoming one of few standout stars for Ten Hag in the 2023/24 campaign.

That being said, it was only in the summer when Maguire’s time at Old Trafford seemed to be over. Now he is performing out of his skin and earning £190,000-per-week while doing it. While an increase in wages is highly unlikely for the 30-year-old, extending his stay is looking all the more likely.